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Sarah Palin's appearance in California Saturday highlighted the fissures within the GOP. |
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Palin has been citing the 40th president and conservative icon more frequently of late, including at a private speech earlier this month in Florida in which she pointedly reminded a group of prominent Republicans that naysayers said that Reagan wasn’t electable.

Yet should she pursue a presidential bid, Palin faces a rehabilitative project that will be more difficult than anything Reagan had to do. Consider 1978, the midterm election cycle between his two presidential runs. He was welcomed on the campaign trail and not just for movement conservatives. Reagan, for example, stumped for party moderates such as Illinois Sen. Charles Percy that year.

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Whitman, a moderate, is close to Mitt Romney and McCain and has always kept her distance from Palin.

“It was a national RNC fundraiser, and Meg had a full day of campaigning in Northern California,” said Whitman spokesman Tucker Bounds.

Fiorina, however, was lifted in her GOP primary thanks in part to a credentialing endorsement from Palin.

But as she attempts to knock off three-term Sen. Barbara Boxer, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO has downplayed Palin’s backing. And her absence here, after spending the morning not far away, spoke volumes about the risk in being seen with Palin.

“We’ve had multiple events across the state planned today for a while, including the McCain rally in San Diego and a grass-roots get-out-the-vote rally in Sacramento this afternoon,” said Fiorina spokeswoman Andrea Saul.

Palin did take a shot at Boxer at one point during her remarks, but she offered only a general endorsement of GOP candidates, without mentioning any names. It was a speech that, with a few exceptions, could have been delivered just about anywhere.

Jack Reardon, who came down to the event from San Bernadino County and waved one of the few Whitman signs in the room, was puzzled by why Palin wouldn’t mention the top of the GOP ticket in the state.

But others were clearly at the event to catch a glimpse of their heroine and didn’t care about the snub.

“I didn’t even notice,” said Rosie Avila, an Orange County resident who serves on her local school board. “We were just here for Sarah and thought she did a great job.”

Palin will be in Orange County, Fla., next week for a similar fundraiser and rally.

But if she has any events planned for candidates, they’ve not yet been announced — illustrating her limited appeal among general election voters. She's done nothing in the 2010 cycle to demonstrate an ability or desire to appeal to anyone beyond those who are already fervently devoted to her.

Could someone do an analysis of the number of positive and negative Republican stories on Politico versus the number of positive and negative Democrat stories

No analysis needed. The bias is obvious. (just like it is throughout most of the lamestream media) Good thing we voters are intelligent enough to see through this obvious bias.......... and our personal beliefs are not changed just because of all of the bias in the mass lamestream media. These media folks just hurt themselves. Their loss.

President Barack Obama said "fear and frustration" is to blame for an intense midterm election cycle that threatens to derail the Democratic agenda. "Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time is because we're hardwired not to always think clearly when we're scared,” Obama said Saturday evening in remarks at a small Democratic fundraiser Saturday evening. “And the country's scared.”

Sarah Palin said "The momentum is with us but now is not the time to let up, now is not the time to celebrate - not quite yet," Palin told a crowd wearing T-shirts reading "Proud Conservative" and buttons reading "Is it 2012 yet?" "We can't be thinking that it's over yet and we've got it in the bag. As Yogi would've said, 'It ain't over till it's over,'" she said, referring to New York Yankees great Yogi Berra. "Soon we'll all be dancing," Palin said. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday urged a roaring crowd of Republicans

Johnathan, I see you mentioned Fox News again. When are you commies gonna get over it? I still do not understand how you elites can even remotely consider that CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS et. al. are

balanced or fair. Can you honestly say that these entities are not skewed to the left???? If Obama had an "R" after his name you people would be pummeling him. His ratings would be in the 20's by now (not to mention you would have done everything in your power to keep him from getting elected) What the hell are you all smoking???? Even IF Fox was not fair or balanced, what's the big deal?? You clowns own everything else. Please tell me what's the big deal? That we, the people, do not have to rely on one source to get our information?????????

I am getting sick of the left wing media bringing up the fact that neither Fiorina or Whitman came to this rally with the GOP and Palin... are they really that dense? California is a Democratic stronghold. The mere fact that either Whitman or Fiorina could win is huge. They can not run a strong Conservative agenda... they are both closer to the center... its called political intelligence.

Sarah is energizing the Republican base... it is up to the two candidates to draw in the independents and any disatisfied Democrats. Besides, these mid term elections. And, if the media were truthful, they could mention that it was Palin's endorsement that guaranteed the Fiorina primary win. And that Whitman has said she is a Mittens fan.

So all this bull crap about some sort of problem between the candidates stinks of liberal media trying to gin up a controversy that does not exist.

How about another point... the liberal media always says Palin is controversial and polarizing. To whom? Not to Conservatives. Not to the 50% plus of the American population who lean to the right. The only people she is controversial and polarizing to are the liberal media - because she won't give them the time of day and called them dolts all the time - and the wacko left.

Yes, the racist and hateful left is a joke. They are exposed and are now *****ing about it. Same with the liberal, biased media. It is now openly recognized by everyone that the main stream media is biased to the left and their reputation is in the sewer. Look at the ratings for all the liberal media. In the toilet. You have been exposed and you are a joke.

I am getting sick of the left wing media bringing up the fact that neither Fiorina or Whitman came to this rally with the GOP and Palin... are they really that dense? California is a Democratic stronghold. The mere fact that either Whitman or Fiorina could win is huge. They can not run a strong Conservative agenda... they are both closer to the center... its called political intelligence.

Sarah is energizing the Republican base... it is up to the two candidates to draw in the independents and any disatisfied Democrats. Besides, these mid term elections. And, if the media were truthful, they could mention that it was Palin's endorsement that guaranteed the Fiorina primary win. And that Whitman has said she is a Mittens fan.

So all this bull crap about some sort of problem between the candidates stinks of liberal media trying to gin up a controversy that does not exist.

How about another point... the liberal media always says Palin is controversial and polarizing. To whom? Not to Conservatives. Not to the 50% plus of the American population who lean to the right. The only people she is controversial and polarizing to are the liberal media - because she won't give them the time of day and called them dolts all the time - and the wacko left.

Yes, the racist and hateful left is a joke. They are exposed and are now *****ing about it. Same with the liberal, biased media. It is now openly recognized by everyone that the main stream media is biased to the left and their reputation is in the sewer. Look at the ratings for all the liberal media. In the toilet. You have been exposed and you are a joke.

In a remarkably contemptuous move, three illegal immigrants marked for deportation after committing crimes are suing the U.S. government over the program that targeted them for removal.

The illegal aliens live in Georgia’s Cobb County, which has a population of about 600,000, and were discovered to be undocumented after getting arrested by local police for state crimes. One got booked after car crash for not having a driver’s license, another for shoplifting and the other for felony forgery.

Thanks to a local-federal partnership known as 287(g), the illegal immigrant criminals were reported to federal authorities for removal. The program has been effective in reducing violent crime in local communities and aiding in the deportation of tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens who would otherwise fall through the cracks.

But 287(g) is unconstitutional because it “impermissibly delegates federal powers to local authorities with insufficient oversight,” according to the illegal immigrants’ attorney. Not only has Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) improperly delegated power, it has failed to train, supervise and otherwise oversee the sheriff’s deputies in Cobb County, according to the complaint which was filed in Atlanta Federal Court this week.

Among the defendants are ICE Director John Morton, Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren, a Georgia Department of Public Safety investigator and other state officials. The illegal immigrants’ attorney seeks to make it a class action that includes “all Hispanic persons who have been or will be restrained and interrogated within the state of Georgia” under 287(g).

While this marks the first lawsuit against the local-federal partnership, the program has been repeatedly challenged by open borders advocates who claim it exacerbates racial profiling. Last year several politically-connected immigrant rights groups urged President Obama to terminate all 287(g) partnerships because local law enforcement agencies nationwide are using it to target “communities of color.”

Have you read this one yet? DEMOCRATS CONVERTING TO REPUBLICAN... IS IT POSSIBLE?

If Republicans are in a pinch after November’s election, and need a few extra seats to secure a comfortable majority in the House, is it possible that conservative Democrats will be persuaded to defect and join the GOP?

Political scientists say it’s possible, but not likely.

Dr. Merle Black, an expert on southern politics at Emory University, said he’s not sure the GOP would embrace Democrats who just defeated their Republican nominee.

“I don’t know how serious that would be or how warmly they’d be received by the Republicans in the immediate aftermath of a campaign where they [were] trying to win as Democrats or at least nominal Democrats,” he said.

Another reason such a scenario seems unlikely is that the Republicans could very well win a comfortable majority, and the Democrats just will not be needed.

“If [Republicans] only have a few votes, they might want to increase their margins and under that situation they might approach the others,” he said of the GOP leadership reaching out to conservative Democrats. “But if they’re ahead by ten or 15 seats, I think the attitude of the Republican leaders will be ‘you need us more than we need you.’”

Here are possible conservative Democrats that Republicans could approach:

—Rep. Bobby Bright of Alabama, who recently said he does not plan to support Nancy Pelosi for speaker.

—Rep. Jim Marshall of Georgia, who also recently announced that he’d support a moderate speaker over Pelosi.

—Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho, who was endorsed (though he eventually turned it down) by the Tea Party Express.

—Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina, who voted against President Obama’s health care bill.

—Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi, a long-serving Gulf Coast Democrat who also voted against Obama’s health care bill this year.

—Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma, a gun-rights proponent who voted against the health care bill.

Asked whether House Republican leader Boehner is planning to approach these or other Democrats, spokesman Michael Steel dismissed the notion. He said by e-mail that Boehner “is 100-percent-focused on earning the majority in the House.”

Representatives for two of the Democrats said there’s no way their member would switch parties. Minnick spokesman John Foster said, “Walt has always said ‘No’ to that question.” A spokesman for Marshall simply said “no.”

That’s not surprising, says Dr. Andrea Hatcher, a professor at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. She said these Democrats would have no reason to switch parties after November, as the electoral incentive would be gone.

“If Bright, for example, successfully wins a second term as a Dem in these hard-fought conditions, what incentive would he have to switch parties thereafter?” she asked.

In 1994, then Democratic Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby became a Republican the day after the GOP sweep of Congress. He has since gone on to win re-election on the GOP ticket. But as of recently, party switchers have not always be as lucky.

journolista jonathan martin pushing the white house talking points faithfully. i mean really jonathan. you should be ashamed of yourself for writing this tripe. think about this. why are YOU writing an article if Sarah wasn't in the mainstream of American thought. the more you put her down, the stronger she grows.

Could someone do an analysis of the number of positive and negative Republican stories on Politico versus the number of positive and negative Democrat stories. Please!! Especially since Labor Day.

You really want an analysis of lunacy on one hand and reason on the other? It is like night and day. I have the results already: Republicants are %85 stupid and racist while Democrats are %95 sane and liberal.

I often read politico articles, and the comments that follow. It is interesting, (as an observer from another country), to witness the growing skepticism people seem to having about them. I would have thought that with the amount of times politico get called out for bias they would at least start writing a few articles that would restore some credibility. The charge of bias seems to have been leveled for some time, and is increasing in frequency.

I often read politico articles, and the comments that follow. It is interesting, (as an observer from another country), to witness the growing skepticism people seem to having about them. I would have thought that with the amount of times politico get called out for bias they would at least start writing a few articles that would restore some credibility. The charge of bias seems to have been leveled for some time, and is increasing in frequency.

Please remain in your cave. The charges are coming from the right wing and we know that they are purely baseless. To them anything that doesn't attack Obama must be wrong and therefore biased.

Newsflash to Politico: there were a number of speeches, and 19 Republican candidates there. NO speaker mentioned any specific candidate by name---NO ONE. There were too many to name. This rally was about the party and the party platform, and to encourage party faithfuls to rally and support ALL GOP candidates. BTW Fiorina did have a long-standing rally planned with McCain in San Diego; my brother got tickets more than a month ago. The RNC rally with Palin in Anaheim was just announced a little over 2 weeks ago.

Oh, and I'm guessing you haven't attended too many Fiorina rallies in CA because she most definitely mentions Palin on the stump.

Nice try politico. You can find maybe three Democrats willing to campaign with Obama. Democrats are running ads saying they are against Obama and Pelosi. GOP divide. OK whatever gets you through the night.